


Just One Kobold

by violetpirate48



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetpirate48/pseuds/violetpirate48
Summary: Elijah is angry at Veezara for going against his orders as captain of the Red Coquette. Selva is worried about her party members and tries to calm him down.
Relationships: Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s) & Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s)





	Just One Kobold

**Author's Note:**

> Here is a moment from the D&D campaign I am in that I wrote down in story form. Enjoy!

It took all of Elijah’s willpower to not slam the door of his cabin. He braced himself against the desk and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. It didn’t work. He took out his flute to use as a distraction and keep his mind of what was troubling him, but his playing was as bad as it had ever been.

Elijah couldn’t believe Veezara had had the gall to let Vonnum out of his cell without even consulting him. Just imagining what he had seen upon entering the brig made his flute unintentionally jump an octave. Before Veezara had acted, Elijah had had half a mind to go ahead and release Vonnum himself. The dwarf had only been following his own traditions, and it wasn’t his fault that Elijah didn’t understand them. Also, Vonnum had been the only person on the ship to answer honestly about where the crew had been—more honest than Elijah’s own brother.

Veezara had let Vonnum out of the cell because he was upset that Elijah had imprisoned his friend and the person on the ship he had known longest. Elijah didn’t care. He had just put his twin brother in the cell with Vonnum; Veezara’s relationship with the dwarf was not a valid reason to release him. Then Veezara claimed that the captain had no authority over Vonnum. Elijah agreed, but he would never have admitted that to Veezara with the stunt he had just pulled. Then Veezara questioned the authority Elijah had on his own ship, and the pirate snapped.

Didn’t Elijah already realize how precarious his situation was? Hadn’t he just found out how little his authority mattered to the crew? He didn’t need Veezara to tell him how little his authority mattered. Military captains were commissioned; pirate captains were elected—but Elijah? He had done nothing to earn his place as captain. He had taken the position for his own ego, and now he was paying the price.

Elijah had assumed he was the only person for the role since the criminal half of the crew already knew him and would listen to him. He hadn’t even thought of his own brother, who would have the same amount of influence with the Cobalt Watch. Elijah wasn’t even able to be on the ship for the whole journey, having to spend days on end killing squirrels and dealing with elven politics. Nathaniel had been an obvious choice, but the pirate had been so caught up in the promise of adventure on the high seas with another band of criminals that he hadn’t even noticed.

Elijah hated that Veezara had pointed out this insecurity, so he had threatened him with a blade. It was far from his proudest moment, physically threatening a fellow party member, especially when he knew that Veezara could easily beat him in a fight. The cleric had even said as much, only making Elijah angrier. He wore so much armor that Elijah would maybe be able to get in one good hit before Veezara’s magic beat him to a figurative pulp. Elijah wished he could be better with his words, just for once in his life, rather than continue to hopelessly throw violence at all his problems.

Outside his cabin, he heard another flute, somehow successfully harmonizing with the garbage he had been producing. He stopped and let the flute play a bit longer by itself. In his anger, the flute was telling him that this was how he should sound—not like a toddler who had found a flute and was trying to eat it. He should be trying to repair his relationship with his brother, not imprisoning him. He should know how to deal with an insubordinate crew—he had done it before; why was this time so different? He should be trying to find Leonora, not fighting Sahuagin. He should—

Elijah opened his cabin door to find Selva on the flute, mid-note, but she stopped playing almost immediately.

“That’s great playing, Selva. So much better than mine.” If there were a spell that let someone see annoyance, Elijah would be overflowing with it. Selva caught on quickly.

“No, that’s not what I meant! I was trying to. . .” She let out a huff. “Can I talk to you?” Elijah motioned her inside and returned to his seat at the desk. She sat in a chair across from him, her feet not touching the floor. “I know you’re mad at Veezara. It’s crazy that he just let that Vonnum guy out without even asking you. He said he was his friend and he’s known him for a long time, but I agree he should have talked to you first. But, Elijah, you’re his friend too, you know? And we shouldn’t be doing things for each other because someone’s in charge of us but because we’re friends, and we care for each other.” She stopped and looked up at him with hopeful eyes, but also with anger at how these people she had allied with apparently treated their friends.

“You’re right,” he responded. “I know you’re right. But I don’t like that you are. I can barely control the crew as it is, but he goes and does this, telling them that not even the party respects me. I’m allowed to feel angry.”

“You can be angry. I am too, at both of you. But remember all the things you’ve done together. Don’t stay angry forever.”

After Elijah’s acknowledging nod, she quietly left the captain’s quarters. Elijah assumed she would be talking to Veezara soon if she hadn’t already. He was glad Selva had intervened earlier in the brig. He didn’t know what kind of state Veezara would have left him in otherwise, though Elijah was sure he would have struck first and made it his own fault.

The Band wouldn’t get anything done without Selva. Today was an extreme example, but she always kept them from fighting. Selva was their peacemaker, though she was certainly a strange person to hold the title. Somehow the pink kobold had managed to keep two people that were both more than twice her size from getting into an altercation.

When Veezara later appeared at the captain’s quarters not looking incensed at Elijah, he knew Selva had again been successful. Apologies were grudgingly given and grudgingly accepted. Selva’s abilities didn’t reach so far as to have them leaving together arm in arm, but with where Elijah and Veezara had just been, she was still very impressive.

The Sahuagins would be a welcome distraction. Even though Elijah had reconciled with Veezara, he had still been reminded of the poor claim he had on the captaincy. Maybe fighting the Sahuagins together with his crew would help to cement his position. He half-wished he had been with them in Vestervatn. But if Selva could persuade Elijah and Veezara to make peace, then surely he could be the captain his crew needed him to be. With the help of just one kobold, Elijah and his stolen sword were ready to take on whatever came at them, whether that be Sahuagin, the Arctic Devil, or a disobedient crew.


End file.
